Impossible
by Belle's Noir
Summary: Dumbledore had tricked him into becoming a Champion but Harry wasn't going to take it lying down. He may be forced to compete in the tasks but who says he has to complete the tasks?
1. The First Task

_Has anyone noticed that despite not wanting to be in the tournament, Harry resigns himself to it quite quickly and actually competes? This struck me as odd because I can remember when I was fourteen and no way was I as complying as Harry was. So in this fic I have done my best to make Harry completely normal. This is how a normal teenager would react to being forced to do something they don't want to, especially something this life threatening. _

_Hanna xoxo_

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"Harry, you're the underdog in this competition, are you sure I can't be of any help?" Ludo tried again.

"No sir, I have everything planned but I do have a question about the task, if you could answer it?" Harry asked innocently. It was mere minutes before the first task was due to start and Ludo Bagman had just pulled him out of the champion's tent.

"Of course, Harry my boy! I haven't memorized the rules like ol' Barty but as a judge I know all the ones I need to."

"You said we'd be judged on how quickly we get the egg but I was just wondering if there's a time _limit_." Harry felt himself blush at the suspicious look Bagman was giving him. "It's just… Like you said, I'm the underdog here. I'm only a fourth year and I'm facing a dragon, the people I'm competing against have years of magical study to their advantage. I highly doubt I'll be faster than any of them. I was just curious, if I don't manage to get my egg very quickly, how long do I have before the judges just give up and say I was unable to complete the task?"

"Don't worry, Harry." Ludo told him with a nervous smile, his chin never looked so weak. "I'm sure you'll do great."

Harry tried not to roll his eyes. With the amount of bets the man took at the world cup it stood to reason he'd done the same with the tournament and Ludo was making it increasingly obvious which horse he had backed.

Oh well, it didn't really matter if he got an answer or not, it wasn't like he cared how much time was wasted, he really had just been curious.

He quickly made his way back into the tent as Cedric was leaving it. He looked distinctly green around the gills, Harry's heart went out to him. It actually went out to all the champion's. The thought of facing a dragon must be terrifying.

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Harry wrung his hands as he waited for his whistle. It had been horrible. Listening to the commentary on the other champions but not actually knowing how they were doing. He just hoped no one was seriously injured. What kind of absolute _moron_ used dragons in a school competition? If it took six or seven _fully trained_, _experienced_ dragon handlers to deal with one dragon, how were _school children_ supposed to do it?

Just because the others were of age didn't mean they could handle something like this but at least the hard part was over now so Harry could breathe easier.

Harry was jolted out of his thoughts when the next whistle sounded, calling for his presence in the arena. Slowly he made his was out of the tent, he felt like a gladiator. Fighting for his life for the entertainment of the Emperor Dumbledore.

He breathed deep as he felt the magic of the tournament wash over him and felt himself relax, it was already over. Now all he had to wait for was for Dumbledore to give up.

He could see the dragon at the centre of the stadium, crouched low of her eggs, poisonous yellow eyes watching him carefully. He just hoped the flames couldn't reach him where he stood. He raised his wand and pointed it in the vague direction of the castle.

"_Accio 'Quidditch Through The Ages'_" He shouted, drawing extremely confused looks from everyone in attendance. In almost no time at all he could hear the whistling sound of something travelling at high speeds and almost gracefully plucked the book out of mid-air before it could slam into his chest or face.

He briefly considered summoning one of the chairs from the Gryffindor common room, knowing it was going to be far more comfortable that anything he could conjure or transfigure but decided against it. He really didn't want to be hit with an armchair and he highly doubted he could catch it the same way he had the book. So instead he calmly pointed his wand at the nearest boulder and turned it into a nice comfortable armchair he could quite happily spend a few hours relaxing in.

It wasn't the easiest thing to do. Relaxing when you had a stadium full of people staring at you, not to mention the nesting dragon that was still watching him carefully. He could hear the crowd getting restless, their whispers growing louder and louder.

He just wondered how long it would take Dumbledore to bow to pressure and actually ask him what he was playing at. He could already imagine the reaction some people in the audience were having. No doubt Malfoy was up there telling anyone who'd listen that it was obvious Harry was scared. Ron would be in the Gryffindor stands trying to figure out how Harry doing nothing meant he was showing off even more than the redhead already thought he was.

And Dumbledore… Dumbledore would be furious. He'd be sitting there at the judges table silently seething and artificially twinkling at anyone who spoke to him. Harry could barely hold in his giggles. It was nice to be the one calling the shots for once.

In the end it only took about twenty minutes for Dumbledore to give in to the crowds demands. What made it even sweeter was that he couldn't even approach Harry to speak to him quietly. The task only officially started once the champion had entered the arena and once the task had started the judges couldn't leave their designated area and the champion's couldn't speak to anyone but a judge. That meant the whole conversation would have to take place with the use of a _Sonorus_ charm and of course privacy spells weren't allowed. There was almost every rule and enchantment you could think of in place to stop any possible cheating.

Harry had been eagerly anticipating this conversation ever since he found out what the headmaster had done.

"Mr Potter," Dumbledore's enhanced voice said sternly. "What, may I ask, are you doing?"

Harry quickly pointed his wand at his own throat. "I'm doing the task." He answered with feigned confusion.

"But the task is to collect the egg from dragon." The headmaster told him, Harry had to grit his teeth at the patronising tone.

"No." Harry responded in a childishly innocent voice, drawing out the 'o' just ever so slightly. "To _complete_ the task I would have to get the egg from dragon however just entering the arena constitutes competing which is enough to satisfy the contract."

"But Mr Potter, surely you want to bring prestige to your school, to show the world what you are capable off?" Dumbledore's 'grandfather' tone was slightly strained this time. Harry wondered how close that façade was to cracking.

"If I wanted that," Harry countered with a cold tone. "I would have _willing_ entered this tournament."

Harry heard the whispers start up again at his implication. Even those who believed he hadn't entered his own name still thought he would be pleased at the chance. After all the contract needs his verbal or at least implied agreement to activate which he had unwittingly given.

Bloody Dumbledore.

The headmaster closed his eyes and made sure his disappointed sigh was heard by everyone present thanks to the _Sonorus_ charm. He was gratified to several former students, including Severus, flinch at the sound. Though that pleasure was short lived when he saw he'd had no effect on young Mr Potter. In fact the boy had simply gone back to reading his book!

"Mr Potter," Dumbledore tried again, his tone expressing just as much disappointment as his sigh. "If you are going to be difficult and not take this seriously-"

"I'm not being difficult." Harry interrupted with a cheeky grin. "I was _born_ difficult but, with just a little bit of effort, I'm impossible."

"Mr Potter-" Dumbledore voice rose, trying to cover the giggles that had erupted in the stands but it was no use as he was interrupted again.

"You tricked me," Harry stated coldly, his eyes boring into the headmaster's even at that distance. The audience was once again silent, not wanting to miss a single second of the confrontation. "Into agreeing to a magical contract, one that will take my magic if I don't fulfil it, so I'm fulfilling it but I refuse to do any more than that."

"I'm not arguing the point with you, Mr Potter." Dumbledore answered in a tired voice hoping Harry wouldn't push the topic in front of such a full audience. It wouldn't do his reputation any good if everyone realised exactly how ignorant he'd deliberately kept the Boy-Who-Lived. "Either way, you are obviously going to do no more for this task so if you will stand while the judges give your scores."

Harry closed his book and stood, absently turning his chair back into a rock. He watched with distant amusement as the British members of the panel gave him zeros with the exception of Bagman who gave him a four. That man couldn't be more desperate if he tried. Though he was surprised when Madam Maxim and Headmaster Karkaroff both gave him scores of three.

They could have been impressed or amused by his display, Harry mused, it was possible. They had both been in the anti-chamber when Harry had professed his innocence and they knew the rules as well as Headmaster Dumbledore. It was entirely possible they had finally realised Harry hadn't been aware that by just entering the room set aside for champions he was non-verbally agreeing to _be_ a champion.

Of course it was also just as likely that they wanted to come across as the nice judges. Giving the youngest champion some points even though he hadn't really done anything.

Harry could have laughed at the look on Dumbledore's face. It was one of the funniest things he'd ever seen. The old man looked like he'd shoved too many sour sherbet lemons into his mouth at once. His lips were pursed, his cheeks sucked in with an air of extreme displeasure around him. He could only hope the _Daily Prophet_ managed to get a picture of him like that.

Harry was almost looking forward to the next task.

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_This story is marked as complete because for now it's just a one-shot, maybe if people like it I'll consider doing the other tasks but for now this is it._

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	2. The Second Task

_This story is still marked as completed. It may never be updated again but I have a fair bit of inspiration for the Weighing of the Wands Ceremony so you never know… Hanna xoxo_

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Harry could have skipped as he made his way to the Black Lake for the second task. The last few months had just been so much fun. It was amazing to think so much had happen in such a short space of time.

He'd finally given Rita the real interview she'd wanted at the Weighing of the Wands and Holy Merlin had it incensed the public. He'd held nothing back, he'd told the full story of his life. How he'd spent ten years as a house elf living in a cupboard, how his cousin had routinely beat him at the encouragement of his parents and of course how he'd been too weak to fight back due to malnourishment. The best part was he hadn't even needed to lie. Every single quote in the _Daily Prophet_ was the absolute truth, they could have held up under _veritaserum_. Which they actually had when he'd been pulled into the Ministry for an inquiry against his relatives.

It was sort of sweet actually. Harry had barely needed to do a thing. He just told his story and the people of Magical Britain had rallied on his behalf. Currently, he was an official ward of the Ministry just waiting for a suitable family to come along. The woman they had assigned as his main carer for the time being was a rather nice woman named Dolores Umbridge, she wasn't the most attractive of people but seemed to take great delight in making sure the Ministry was doing everything it could to make Harry's life easier.

What made everything sweeter was that Dumbledore couldn't do a single thing to stop it. Not that he hadn't tried of course but all that had resulted from his protests was yet more outrage from the public.

After all, this was a man they trusted with their children yet for years he had ignored the obvious signs of abuse. Harry had cackled himself silly when he found out the headmaster was now facing an inquiry of his own.

But now it was time for the second task which he still had to participate in despite the best effort of the ministry. They had been extremely embarrassed after Harry made a mockery of the first task though this time it didn't really matter to them. The big wigs at the Ministry were rather pleased that they were able to use Dumbledore as a scapegoat for once, instead of the other way around as it usually was.

He was definitely looking forward to seeing the old mans face during this task, it was going to be a picture and Harry had already let Rita know to be on standby with her photographer.

As he made his way towards the edge of the lake, Harry could hear the crowd speculating on what he'd do next. He just hoped he kept them as entertained as he had last time.

At the edge of the temporary docks the other champions were waiting for the starting whistle to sound. He absently wondered who his hostage would be. He couldn't really say he was on friendly terms with anyone in the castle at the moment, with the exception of Professor Moody who had made himself available whenever Harry just needed a bit of company. Ron hadn't been speaking to him since his name came out the goblet. Hermione hadn't _officially_ been speaking to him since he refused to accept Ron's fake apology but in all honesty she too had been distancing herself since he was chosen as a champion.

He'd never really been close with anyone else in Gryffindor, though Neville always had a smile for him whenever Harry looked like he needed it. Most of the house seemed to think he'd let them down by refusing to complete the tasks.

Personally, Harry thought they'd let him down by refusing to stand with him. Even Professor McGonagall was making her displeasure known. Tutting at him whenever she saw him, no doubt on Dumbledore's order. And here Harry thought it was dogs that did tricks on command, not cats.

Harry couldn't honestly say he minded these changes as they weren't really changes. He hadn't trusted Professor McGonagall since first year and he'd never really trusted his house mates. He was friendly enough with them but their intolerance of anything different reminded him a bit too much of the Dursley's.

Harry quickly glanced at his watch, he still had a few minutes before the task would start. After making sure no one was paying too close attention to him, he surreptitiously nudged Fleur who was standing next to him.

"_Oui_?" She asked with a condescending look, but Harry could see the worry in her eyes and he really couldn't blame her. This task wasn't really fair to her. Veela were creatures of fire and air and Fleur would be at a distinct disadvantage in the water.

"How does Gillyweed react with Veela?" Harry blurted out. He'd been hoping to ease into the conversation a bit smoother than that but he'd only been given the plant as he was leaving the castle a few minutes ago. He hadn't really had time to formulate a plan.

"_Excusez_-_moi_?" Fleur frowned in confusion. Clearly she couldn't see the relevance of the conversation.

Harry decided to cut to the chase, with only a short time left before the task started, he didn't really have time for a question and answer session.

"I told a friend of mine what the task was and they got me some Gillyweed but I don't plan to complete the task so I don't need it. Would you like it or does it not react well with Veela?" Harry told her in a rather fast voice.

"Non," Fleur answered a few seconds later once she'd worked out what he'd said. "Gillyweed is safe for Veela but are you sure Monsieur Potter? Do you not wish to use it yourself?"

"I'm very sure, Fleur, thank you though." Harry said with a smile.

He quickly passed her the plant just as the whistle blew and watched as she swallowed the slimy thing and jumped into the lake just a few seconds after Cedric and Viktor. He could feel the stares of everyone in attendance, wondering why he hadn't jumped into the lake as well.

With deliberate slowness, Harry kicked off his shoes and removed his clothes, revealing his swimming trunks underneath. He could feel the burning gaze of Dumbledore against his back. No doubt the old man thought Harry's hero complex would kick in and force him to compete. After all there was someone for him to save at the bottom of the lake.

However for once Harry didn't really care that anyone might need saving. He highly doubted that anyone in the lake was in any real danger. Though he wouldn't put it past Dumbledore to endanger the students, Harry's first year for example, the old man was being too closely monitored during the tournament for him to be able to pull any of his usual stunts.

Harry stood right at the edge of the dock and with exaggerated movements slowly dipped a toe into the lake before giving a too-obvious-to-be-real shudder and pulling it back out. Too almost everyone else it looked like he'd made a show of checking the temperature of the lake, too the select few that knew how the tournament worked they knew the Boy-Who-Lived had been checking the task magic.

Harry had to repress a smirk as he felt the old man's glare intensify. He'd clearly just realised that yet again his weapon was defying him.

Harry had felt the vibrating layer of magic coating the surface of the lake. The same layer that had covered the entrance of the arena during the first task. He could easily guess that he'd have to be fully submerged at least once for the tournament magics to register his participation.

He could feel the stares of the entire audience focused solely on him. It wasn't a pleasant feeling but it was to be expected. Making sure that his bag was left at the edge of the pier so he could reach it easily, Harry calmly stepped off the platform and landed in the water with a quiet splash. He stayed submerged just long enough to ensure the task magic activated before swimming to the surface and floating near the bag he'd brought with him.

What he did next confused the majority of the audience, only the muggleborns had any idea what the scrunched up luminous pink thing was. With deliberate slowness, Harry raised the lilo to his lips and casually began to inflate the pool toy. It only took about ten minutes with the subtle assistance of magic.

Then he opened his bag and pulled out a book, a pair of sunglasses and a can of muggle Coca-cola. Much to the outrage of Dumbledore and the amusement of the crowds, Harry began to leisurely float on the surface of the lake while once again reading _Quidditch Through the Ages_. He had considered bringing a fishing rod and possibly conjuring a small rowing boat but Harry wouldn't know what to do with fishing equipment even if he had it to bring.

This time it only took ten minutes for Dumbledore to grow frustrated enough to talk to Harry though at this point the young Gryffindor had rather forgot where he was, actually having succeeded to forget about his audience and completely relax.

"_Mr Potter!_" Dumbledore boomed out across the lake, almost causing Harry to spill his Coke. "_What is the meaning of this?"_

Harry recovered quickly and didn't even bother to remove his sunglasses or lift he head. "The meaning of what, Professor?" He replied calmly, using a _Sonorus_ of his own.

"Why are you not trying to rescue your hostage? There is someone at the bottom of the lake relying on you to save them!"

"Are they in any real danger?" Harry asked distractedly without looking away from his book.

"Well – I – that's not –" Dumbledore started spluttering.

Harry softly dropped his book onto his now dry chest and lifted himself onto his elbows so he could face the judging panel.

"If the hostages are in real danger then it is your fault should harm could to any of them, not mine Professor, as you were the one to place them in the bottom of the lake and should have taken better safety precautions." Harry paused for a moment to let that sink in, knowing full well that as soon as this task was over the Ministry were going to pounce and demand a full Health and Safety inspection, even if they found nothing it would only fuel the public's new distrust of Dumbledore. "If there is no real danger then I see no reason why you are disturbing my quiet time, as you know I have fulfilled the requirements of the task even if I haven't completed the task, there is nothing you can penalise me for."

And with that Harry leant back and picked up his book once again ignoring the concerned and amused mutterings of the crowds. He knew that Hermione was going to chew him out as soon as he got back to the common room and Dumbledore would probably double his efforts in trying to regain control of his weapon but for now Harry didn't care. He knew he had the Ministry on his side now as well as the majority of the magical population, Dumbledore's tyranny wouldn't last much longer.

The rest of the allotted hour passed rather quickly after that or at least so it seemed to Harry who was rather absorbed in his book no matter how many times he'd already read it. Fleur was the first Champion to emerge much to the obvious shock of the judges, clearly they'd known how unfair this task was to her and were surprised she'd actually managed to finish let alone finish first.

Harry watched as the French witch was hauled out of the water holding what seemed to be a miniature version of herself, they were quickly given chocolate to eat and blankets to warm up with though Fleur wasted no time in wrapping her own around what was obviously her little sister.

Cedric came about five minutes later dragging along a water-logged Cho Chang. Harry had always thought Cho was a rather pretty girl though as he now watched what seemed to be a whole tube of mascara roll down her cheeks, he couldn't help but wonder exactly how much make up she used to achieve that effect. And if the look on Cedric's face was anything to go by, he was thinking the same thing.

Harry rolled his eyes at the anticipation of the audience, all wanting to know who was the hostage of the world famous seeker, the only champion who had yet to return. Their disappointment that it was only a school friend had Harry hiding a rather large grin behind his book.

The old man wasted no time in calling Harry back to the pier and issuing scores, he clearly wanted the spectacle over and done with as soon as possible.

"Well then, Mr Potter." Dumbledore started with a most put-upon sigh. "It is now clear that you refuse to make any effort regarding this Tournament so we shall proceed with the scores."

"Really?" Harry drawled, one eyebrow raised and a small smirk on his face. "It's _now_ clear?"

Dumbledore fumed as the assembled crowds laughed. Harry had yet so remove his _Sonorus_ charm.

"Yes," the old man continued as though he could here the people in the audience. "Which means Ginny Weasley is still at the bottom of the lake."

Harry, who had just attempted to swallow his last mouthful of coke, immediately started choking at the headmaster's last words.

"_Ginny Weasley!_" He wheezed incredulously. "Ginny Weasley was my hostage? W-wh-wh-why would you _do_ that? What could have possessed you to think that _Ginny Weasley_ was what I'd sorely miss? _Really?_"

Dumbledore blustered as he tried to think of something to say.

"Mr Potter, it is a rather well known fact that you are rather close to the youngest Weasleys."

"Headmaster, that girl terrifies me." Harry exclaimed, much to the amusement of almost everyone watching. "Have you seen the way she _stares_? It's frightening. I fear for my manhood. She wants in my trousers for something and I'm _honestly_ not sure I'd completely male afterwards."

Dumbledore blustered again.

"Wait!" Harry shouted in an obvious 'eureka' moment, a look of hope stole over his face. "The clue said '_it won't come back_'. Does she have to stay down there now? Please?"

The crowds were all out laughing now at the scene Harry was making.

Bagman chuckled good-naturedly as he attempted to regain control. Dumbledore had lost all manner of speech.

"Of course not, Mr Potter. We wouldn't really make people spend the rest of their lives at the bottom of the lake."

Harry pouted in disappointment. The scores were immediately issued after that, the youngest Champion didn't really pay much attention to what the others got, it was fairly obvious that Fleur came in first, Cedric came in second and Viktor came in third though he was rather surprised that he had somehow managed to end up with sixteen points despite having done almost literally nothing.

Dumbledore, predictably had scored him a zero as yet another show of disapproval. Bagman had gone so far as to score him a six and the rest of the panel had scored him five each with exception of Percy Weasley who also scored him zero though that was probably more due to Harry's comments about his sister that his performance in the task.

Harry chuckled as Madam Pomfrey hustled all the champions and hostages into the waiting medical tent to make sure no one had caught anything from the freezing cold lake. Well, all the champions and hostages expect Ginny Weasley that is. As far as Harry knew, Dumbledore was still trying to negotiate her release from the merpeople.

Personally, Harry hope it took a while.

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	3. The Third Task

The day of the Third Task dawned bright and sunny.

Not that Harry Potter knew this as he was still lying in bed, sleeping peacefully and dreaming of the freedom he would have this summer.

The few months between the second task and the third had been most enlightening to Harry. The Ministry had finally decided on a guardian for young Mister Potter. Though many people had volunteered, some with more nefarious intentions than others, it was eventually decided that the Malfoy's of all people would become Harry's new 'family'.

Though originally this had caused Harry one or two sleepless nights it hadn't really been that bad. In fact, because of this new development, he had discovered a fact about his family that the many people who claimed to be close to them had neglected to mention.

They were neutral.

Not at first of course but once they had found out about Lily's pregnancy they had immediately taken a rather large step back from the on-going confrontation. The reason they had gone into hiding, wasn't to escape Voldemort as so many people had led him to believe. But to escape Dumbledore and his band of bloody chickens.

Lucius had taken great delight in telling Harry that his parents had been neutral for almost two years before their deaths. And in all honesty, Harry had taken great delight in hearing it. This news had made him feel immensely better about his decision to stay away from anything to do with Voldemort. To know that his parent's hadn't wanted that life for him was like a giant weight of his shoulders. Now he didn't have to worry that he would be letting them down.

Though he would never regard to the Dark Lord with anything other that hatred, there was no burning need for revenge. There had been no real cruelty in the fate of Lily and James Potter; Lily had even been offered her freedom. It's not like they were tortured. Their deaths had been fairly quick and completely painless, probably only due to the fact that they were neutral.

The Longbottom's were sort of proof off this. Apparently, despite the fact they had a baby at home who would miss them should something happen, they had remained as active participants in the war. They still fought hard at every battle that took place. It was admirable, that they cared so much about their beliefs and the fate of others to do this but Harry personally would have admired them more if their son had been their first priority.

They had stayed in the Order of the Phoenix and unlike the Potters, they were tortured for any information they might have known.

Yes, Harry was quite sure he had made the right choice by choosing no side at all and Lucius had assured him of Voldemort's agreement. If Harry stayed away from the war that was coming, the war would stay away from him.

Well, the Dark side at least. They made no promises about the Light. Though they did offer him sanctuary should Dumbledore's attempts at control turn nasty or at least nastier than they already had been.

Harry had been gracious about the offer but hadn't really given them a solid answer. To tell the truth, he was trying very hard not to think about the coming years. They were looking to be pretty lonely as there was almost no one in the world Harry could call his friend at the moment.

Sirius hadn't written to him in a month. There hadn't been a single word from him since Harry had written asking why his Godfather had failed to mention the Potter's neutrality. The young Gryffindor tried not to let the disappointment get to him. He was used to it after all.

Most of Gryffindor House had turned their backs on him completely though at this point Harry really wasn't surprised. It had happened twice before after all. The younger years were friendly enough and Neville still smiled at him whenever they saw each other. He even occasionally joined Harry at a table in the library for homework but he made sure no one in red and gold witnessed it.

The rest of the school didn't seem to care one way or the other. With the exception of the tasks themselves, Harry was doing his best to stay out of any sort of spotlight whether this was _The Daily Prophet_ or simply the Hogwarts' rumour mill. He figured if he started to fade into the background now then the general population would pay less attention when he finally disappeared completely. Not that he planned to go very far, he loved the magical world too much to ever completely leave it, but he wanted a quiet life and at least a small bit of anonymity was vital in achieving that goal.

Dumbledore however was doing everything he could to hinder this. Every event relevant to the Tournament had suddenly become a school wide affair. With mandatory attendance.

One example of this was when the Champion's had been told about the final task. Instead of only a handful of people being dragged down to the Quidditch pitch, every person imaginable had been invited to see the fledgling hedges. From Rita Skeeter to Madam Pince. Dumbledore had turned it into a sodding circus.

He arranged for expects to come in to talk about the type of creatures and enchantments that the contestants would be facing. He'd organised visits for children too young to currently attend Hogwarts to come and play with the maze while it was still small and safe. He'd allowed reporters almost constant and unlimited access to the castle. He even tried to arrange for _Witch Weekly_ to have a running column describing the day to day lives of the Champions and what they were doing to prepare for the task.

It was the Malfoy's that had saved Harry from this last atrocity, due to the fact that he was still under age. As his legal guardians, they had refused to give their consent for Harry to be featured in the press. He hadn't actually been in the papers since. Articles about the tournament now always referred to him as 'the fourth Champion' or 'the youngest Champion'. Nothing was written exclusively about him and his face had to be blurred out in any picture that anyone managed to snap of him. It was a very welcome reprieve and helped his plans exceedingly.

Harry could begrudgingly admit that a lot of what Dumbledore had organised was actually pretty good. The lectures were fascinating and the kids had been quite cute running around the miniature maze. It just annoyed Harry that Dumbledore was only doing it for selfish reasons; it was all a ploy to keep Harry fresh in people's minds. Dumbledore needed Harry to be seen as a hero and because Harry wasn't showing people what he was capable of, the next best thing was Dumbledore telling people what Harry would _have_ to be capable of come the third task.

Ultimately it was a pretty feeble ploy. It relied too much on Harry's participation during the maze and anyone who'd been present at the earlier tasks could tell you that just wasn't going to happen. However, for all his faults, Dumbledore was not unintelligent and was probably aware of this. He'd just decided that it didn't matter because this plan had the benefit of rebuilding some of his sullied reputation and, if he was honest, it was just about the only thing he could do. Between the Ministry and the Malfoys, Harry was in a pretty untouchable position which was a relief for the boy.

The Great Hall Went quiet as Harry breezed in around 6 o'clock and swiftly walked over to greet the Malfoys at the Slytherin table. He could see the other Champion's already sitting and smiling with their families. Draco didn't look particularly pleased with Harry's presence but it was understandable and he did mask it rather well. Narcissa stood to meet him with a hug and Lucius gave him a firm squeeze on the shoulder. It was more affection that they usually displayed in public, even to Draco, but they needed to let the world see they were welcoming Harry to the family properly and the Boy-Who-Lived understood that even if it wasn't strictly true.

While they were friendly with him, the Malfoys certainly hadn't been trying to make Harry feel like one of their own and Harry wouldn't want them too. That family were up to their elbows in Voldemort's cause and Harry would rather keep his hands clean thank you very much. And even though the break in tension was nice, expecting Harry and Draco to suddenly act like brothers was probably going a step too far.

Plus it would be kinda weird.

Harry sat with the Malfoys until it was time to make their way outside. It had been rather bemusing to share small talk with them over the evening feast. Every now and then he had Narcissa telling him to sit up straighter or stop slouching. He complied of course; the glares of the male Malfoys had nothing on hers.

Harry wasn't sure exactly how he found himself stood outside the wide entrance to the maze. It all seemed sort of surreal. He could see the anxiety and fear on the faces of the other Champions but couldn't bring himself too care. He supposed that the maze must look intimidating to the people who were actually going to be travelling through it, the hedges themselves were around ten foot tall and it must have been pretty dark inside, but all he could picture were the children who'd been running through it just six weeks ago. Harry envied them, it had looked like fun. It was true that he could have a go now should he choose to but he imagined it would be distinctly less amusing to be running through it because you were being chased rather than just because you were simply excited.

While Ludo Bagman was explaining how the task was going to start, Harry made a quick check through his book bag to make sure he had everything he would need. He did. And he grinned.

Muttering started in the crowds, wondering what he could possible have up his sleeve and if he was honest, Harry himself wasn't completely sure what would happen next. He was still debating whether or not he should actually try and win.

You have to admit it would be funny if he did. The famous and fatal TriWizard Tournament won by the fourteen year old who hadn't even made an effort. Harry knew that if he did make a bid for the trophy, it would have to be done in a way that baffled people. Harry let his expression fade to one of indifference and he watched the other Champions entering the maze one by one. He would be going last due to having the lowest score.

Finally it was Harry's turn to enter. He closed his eyes as he crossed the threshold. He had felt the task magic wash over him and knew straight away that it was already over. He was safe. The magic of the task lay over the maze like Clingfilm in the same way it had covered the surface of the lake and the entrance to the arena. Something loosened in his chest, something he hadn't even realised was tight, as the binding magic of the contract was finally satisfied. The contract had been fulfilled. No matter what happened from this point onwards, his magic was safe and thankfully still his.

The only way his magic could be taken from him now was if he cheated. If he left the maze and barrier of task magic completely it would signal the end of his participation in this tournament.

Harry was still unsure what to do. Part of him wanted to actually win and in the least heroically way possible just to show up Dumbledore but that went against his plan. Even if he won in some sneaky, borderline cheating way it would still give people something to talk about. However at this point, Harry figured that everything he did tonight was going to be talked about anyway and he still had another three years in school to fade into obscurity. It was probably better that he stuck it to Dumbledore now while he still could.

With a course of action in mind, Harry lowed himself to his knees and took about fifteen rocks out of his bag, each the size of a fist. This had the crowds muttering again as he arranged them in a rough circle. The people who hadn't been witness to the previous tasks started speculating about what sort of ritual Harry was about to attempt. The students and Ministry workers who had been lucky enough to see Harry's earlier performances just started shaking their heads.

There were only a handful of muggleborns in the crowd that recognised what Harry was doing. Thankfully, they thought it was funny enough that they didn't want to spoil the surprise for everyone else.

Once the circle was finished, Harry reached into his bag again only this time he pulled out a bundle of twigs. The people who had caught on snorted in amusement. Harry quickly went about arranging them like a tepee in the centre of the circle. He considered keeping two aside to use to build friction but figured that after everything the Malfoys had done for him lately he could at least do the rest of this the magical way. He didn't want to embarrass them.

Harry sat back and crossed his legs as he surveyed his handiwork. It wasn't bad for someone who was only copying what they'd seen on TV. Harry calmly pointed his wand at the centre of his 'tepee'. The audience leaned forward in their seats.

"_**Incendio!**_"

The small campfire sprang to life.

Harry grinned as he reached into his back again and produced a small paper bag and a small skewer he'd borrowed from the kitchens. Some of the crowd chuckled as he set about roasting his first marshmallow.

"_Mr Potter!_" Shouted Dumbledore's enhanced voice. "_Would you be so kind as to explain what you're doing_?"

Harry quickly cast his own_Sonorus_ Charm, not once looking away from his snack, lest it burst into flame.

"To be honest, I thought it was pretty was explanatory." Was his tongue in cheek response. "I'm toasting marshmallows. I considered making s'mores but I don't actually know what they are so…" Harry shrugged as he let his voice trail off.

"_Mr Potter, this is your last chance to participate in a task. To be selected as a TriWizard Champion is an honour. Do you really not want a chance to show the world what you can do?_"

Harry pulled his marshmallow away from the flames and glared into the judge's stand while he gave it chance to cool.

"I answered that question during the first task. If I had wanted to '_show the world what I can do_', I would have willingly entered this tournament. My answer has not changed." Harry forced the dark look off his face and replaced it with a casual smile. "However you are right that this is my last chance to have a go and it should be an honour." He shrugged with perfect indifference. "Maybe in bit, I'm almost finished with my book so I might get bored soon."

And with that he started to nibble on his marshmallow while he once again pulled _Quidditch Through the Ages_ out of his bag and deliberately turned to only a few pages from the end. In all honesty, he'd only restarted the booked again last night but he didn't want the crowd thinking he was too eager to reach the cup.

It was fifteen minutes and another three marshmallows later that Harry finally finished his book again. He carefully put the sweets, skewer and book back in his bag. A quick a_guamenti_ put the fire out. He'd considered just leaving it but knowing Snape, he probably would have found some obscure rule this broke and used it as an excuse to give Harry detention.

Plus considering he was surrounded by _hedges_, Harry figured it was probably safer this way.

As he walked to one of the inner walls of the maze, Harry did something that reminded the muggleborns strongly of _Mary Poppins_. Reaching into the bag one last time, Harry began to pull out a ladder.

Considering his actions were once again self explanatory, mutterings of cheating broke out in the crowd. As he propped the ladder against the wall of the maze, Harry vaguely registered Bagman informing the spectators that Harry would have to be very careful with his next move. The contract would take his magic if he really cheated.

Harry grinned as he swung his bag over his shoulders and began climbing the ladder. Though no one knew it nor had anyone probably guessed it considering the effort he usually put into his studies, Harry had researched the history of the tournament and its rules.

Extensively.

And he know had a pretty good understanding of them. He probably knew them well enough to rival Barty Crouch. If the man was ever found that is.

What Harry planned to do wouldn't count as cheating, just ingenuity. But he would have to be carefully to always have at least one part of his body inside the layer of task magic at all times. Tricky but doable.

Harry paused at the top ladder, his thighs level with the top of the hedge. Here came the hard part. He wasn't exaggerating when he compared the layer of magic to Clingfilm. It held firm across the top of the maze, no higher than the top of the hedge. Harry assumed that was to stop someone simply flying to the centre.

Harry looked at the hedge closely, it was only about a foot thick. Dense enough to discourage a contestant from forcing their way through and hopefully magically enforced for the same reason. He mentally crossed his fingers it would hold his weight as it no doubt could give way if someone applied enough pressure or force, otherwise the people patrolling would have a hell of a time trying to reach someone who was in trouble.

With determination, Harry gripped the hedge as best he could as bravely swung one leg over so he was straddling it the same way one would a broomstick. Though considering the size, this was probably more comparable to a horse. A really prickly horse.

Thankfully the hedge managed to hold Harry's weight rather well even if it did shift quite a bit underneath him. Harry grinned in triumph. Half the battle had already been won. Harry quickly cast a feather light charm at the ladder. It was only wooden so it wasn't too heavy but there were about fifteen to twenty hedges between him and the cup. It would be stupid not to ease the burden a little bit.

Harry grabbed the now almost weightless ladder and began to pull it up. It was actually easier than he thought it would be to keep hold of the thing, though he knew he would have struggled quite a bit had the ladder weighed what it was supposed to. When he'd pulled the ladder up half way, Harry let it balance across the hedge like a see-saw and carefully lowered the other end to the ground on the other side of the hedge. All the while the crowd sat and watched in stunned silence.

Harry gave them a grin and wave before swinging his other leg over the hedge and making his way quickly down the ladder.

The Boy-Who-Lived actually managed to make pretty good time in his quest. Though there were a few stumbling blocks he had to navigate around. The crowd could see him as each time he crossed the top of a hedge except every now and then, instead of climbing over the hedge he would just look over, shake his head and climb back down the way he came. Only to appear again ten foot to the right or left where he would move along as he had before. It was quickly realised that Harry was doing this in order to avoid whatever obstacle was lying in wait for unsuspecting champions.

Only the organisers of the tournament knew there was actually some sort of creature or enchantment on the other side of every hedge. Bagman, who had pinned a rather large sum of money on Harry winning this thing, was quick to point out to the audience that the youngest champion was only avoiding the traps he didn't know how to handle and considering the age difference between him and the others, only skipping five or six wasn't bad.

About half an hour later, Harry was grinning as he gazed up at what he knew to be the last wall between him and the centre of the maze. Despite how quickly he had mastered it, it hadn't been easy climbing and hedges were hardly comfortable resting places. The inside of his thighs were actually quite sore. Harry grit his teeth against the ache that had developed in his legs and forced himself to climb the ladder.

The cup shone brightly. The centre of the maze was completely undisturbed. None of the other champions had even come close yet but that wasn't really surprising given that the task had only started about an hour ago and the maze was pretty big, spanning most of the Quidditch pitch.

Harry had to drag his eyes away from the huge trophy as he climbed down the ladder for the final time. The last thing he needed was to lose his footing just because he was distracted. Imagine the embarrassment of having to forfeit mere feet away from actually winning, especially after all the fuss he made, just because he's slipped and broken his leg.

When he finally reached the ground, Harry barely paused before slowly making his was to the very centre of the maze. He couldn't believe it. This was impossible.

After refusing to do any more than the bare minimum throughout the whole tournament, he was actually going to win. An enormous grin broke out over Harry's face as he reached forward with a shaking hand. He couldn't wait to see the look on Dumbledore's face.

Harry's hand wrapped around the arm of the cup and lifted it into the air with a whoop of triumph. It didn't matter that no one could see him.

_He'd bloody won!_

However a split second later, all traces of amusement vanished as Harry felt the telltale tug behind his belly button.

"Oh _shi_-"

**Review**

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_Dun Dun Dun!_

_I'm sorry! If I was reading this I'd be bloody fuming right now but have no fear. The end is already complete. It was just too tempting to find what your reactions would be to this very mean cliff-hanger but don't worry, I shall post the end as soon as my cruel curiosity is satisfied. Hanna xoxo_


	4. Epilogue

There was an eerie silence as Harry landed. He kept his eyes closed for another few seconds as he tried to regain his footing and stop his stomach from rebelling at the same time.

He opened his eyes slowly, expecting the worst, and couldn't help but laugh at the gobsmacked expressions that met him. Harry's eyes immediately found Dumbledore's and he couldn't resist giving a little jaunty wave at the look of utter shock and outrage the old man was wearing.

He couldn't believe the boy had done it. The little upstart had actually won. And he'd done it without showing off at all yet at the same time showing off completely. He'd shown no skill, talent or magical ability that would cause the wizarding world to believe he could defeat Voldemort and yet he'd _still managed to bloody win_.

Harry couldn't help laughing again. This was just too perfect.

The crowd started cheering, taking Harry and even themselves by surprise. Most of the people had to admit they were baffled and impressed. Just maybe the kid deserved to win after all.

Harry grinned and gave a big swooping bow causing some of the audience to laugh at his audacity. This is was it, he realised. His last moment in the spotlight. Everything that usually brought him the attention he despised was gone. Harry had achieved the admiration of the wizarding world without the expectations that usually came attached. He'd earned the respect of his peers with simply his sense of humour and cunning, though that didn't mean they had to like him any more than they currently did, he hoped that given time he'd be able to make a few good and lasting friends.

And most importantly, he had his secured his neutrality in the war. Voldemort wouldn't be doing anything at the school while Harry was still there so there would be no repeats of his heroics during his early years. Nothing that would cause him to have to swoop in and save the day. He wouldn't even be fighting Draco in the corridors anymore, not now the world expected them to be 'brothers'. A Malfoy always lived up to his image after all.

Though Harry knew there would be bumps along the way, Ron Weasley would no doubt make himself a nuisance at some point or another and there was still the whole Sirius thing to deal with, Harry couldn't help the hope he felt expanding in his chest like a balloon.

A balloon he hadn't felt in almost five years. Since he had first learnt of the magical world that was waiting for him. It had popped with his first worry of money, then again with learning of his parent's fate.

But now he had it back simply because he'd managed to do the impossible.

Harry grinned. His future was looking bright and mostly trouble free and he knew he'd do anything to keep it that way. After all, a man is represented by his actions and with a little bit of effort…

Harry Potter was impossible.

_**Mischief Managed.**_

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